Romancing the Word

It’s November. That means many of us have lost all good sense and are attempting NaNoWriMo’s writing challenge. In case you don’t know, it’s a personal challenge to write 50,oo0 words of a novel in 30 days. It’s not impossible but it’s not easy.

Writing is like a relationship. You have to work at it. There has to be clear communication. Conflict will happen and hopefully make your characters stronger when they survive it. Sometimes you have to hurt people regardless to how much you love them. Even the best characters need some type of torture now and then. And yes, sometimes, you end up killing them off. (This can be very therapeutic if you write your Ex into your story!)

NaNoWriMo is an abbreviated, accelerated version of the writing process. You can plan ahead before November but no actual writing until 12:00 am on November 1. Those who have attempted this before understand the tension, the stress of trying to get words on the page.

Think of it kinda like sex. There is no time for romance or foreplay. No flirting, no casual touches as you pass each other in the hallway. It’s all about the passion. When November 1 arrives it’s as if you look at your lover and suddenly have to have every inch of flesh right that very moment. Hopefully you grab that person and devour each other with such intensity afterward you wonder… what just happened and why is my bra on the lampshade?

NaNo is not for the faint of heart. If you only want to play nice you might as well just make some hot tea and relax until the fireworks are over. NaNo is for writers with passion for the words on the page. And sometimes we like it rough…